Reversible rug-adjuster



PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

J. L. KINGSTON.

REVERSIBLE RUG ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 8. 1902.

H0 MODEL.

mg noflms PETERS cc. wonu mm wnmysmn 0.1:.

UNITED STATES Iatented February 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

REVERSIBLE RUG-ADJUSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,738, dated February 9, 1904.

Application filed March 8, 1902. Serial No. 97,240. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Janus L. KINGSTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Roxbury, in the county of Sufl olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reversible Rug-Adjusters, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a means by which a rug or other carpeting may be retained in a permanent adjusted position upon the floor and its corners or edges be held down to keep their original shape free from curling or other disarrangement incident to usage.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a view in plan of my adjuster, showing the retaining and holding member with its attached arm at the corner of a rug. Fig. 2 is a plan showing the reversibility of the holding and retaining member. Fig. 3 is a crosssection in the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. A shows a modified section in that the arm is provided with a rubber or other protective coating. Fig. 5 shows another modified sectional view. Fig. 6 is a modification in the form of the holding and retaining member.

A represents a frictional holder and retainer which consists of a flexible but resilient shaperetaining substance having an under surfacing of soft adhesive rubber. This is adapted to be attached to a rugB along its under edge to reinforce and retain the same in a position flattened out along the surface of the floor, while the soft-rubber face adhering to the floor holds the rug in a position of permanent adjustment. I preferably make this holder and retainer A of soft resilient rubber havinga cloth back. The combined-natural resiliency and adhesiveness of the rubber provides correspondingly the edge-retaining reinforcement and the floor-adhering surface, the effect of which may be increased by corrugating or otherwise roughening it. The retainer is comparatively thin that it may add but an imperceptible increase in thickness to that section of the rug to which it is attached, but must be possessed of a sufiicient resiliency to hold the rug in a flattened-clown position corresponding with its own. IVhen used to retain the corner of the rug, it is cut angular in shape that it may fit well into the corner toward its extreme edge or point, as in Fig. 1. hen used along the edge of the rug, as may be seen by reference to Fig. 6, it takes more of the shape of a retaining-strip, although an angular section may be employed, as in Fig. 2.

The retaining and holding section A is sewed to the rug by stitches a a, passing through the holes or openings a punched along the edge, and in this connection it is to be observed that these holes a are so spaced that alternately long and short stitches are made, the long stitches a running along the under side of the retaining-reinforcement and the short stitches a showing along the top surface of the rug. A groove or recess may be cut in the under surfacing of the rubber to receive these stitches. This is perhaps desirable that the full benefit of its adhesiveness to the floor surface may be retained. Other means may be employed for attaching the reinforcement to the rug and still be within the scope of my invention. The retention pro duced by the resilient rubber might well keep the edges or corners of the rug in adjusted position provided the entire reinforced edge is not turned over or disarranged. This is prevented by the arm C, attached to the retaining section or strip and of suflicient length to extend well back beneath the under surface of the rug. The arm C is preferably made of spring metal very thin that in part section it may lie along the back surface of the retaining member between it and the rug and may then extend out along the bottom of the rug to lie between it and the floor. The arm is preferably fastened to the rug by stitches passing through the slotted openings 0, one in the extreme inner end of the arm and two along its sides. In order that the arm may be protected from direct contact with the floor, it may have a vulcanized-rubber coating 0, especially along that section which would bear upon the floor, (see Fig. 4,) or a series of small rubber pads 0 may be fastened or vulcanized to its under side to protect the floor-surface. I do not wish to confine myself to this manner of making the springing arm, for wiser or other means may be employed and still be within the scope of my invention.

The arm C is attached to A at the point 0 This fastening is such that before the retaining and holding member has been attached to the rug it may be turned relatively to the arm to assume any position of advantage. It is reversible, in other words, that it may retain and hold the corner of the rug, as is shown in Fig. l, or its edge, as in Fig. 2. The advantage of this reversible construction is apparent in the fact that the same adjuster may be used either for retaining and holding the corner of the rug or its edge, as occasion may demand.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modification of my device, for instead of using a triangular section, which is especially adapted to be used for the retention of the corner of the rug, I use a retainer and holder in the nature of a long strip A, extending along its under edge. This retaining-strip A has-a number of arms C extending from it to keep the entire reinforced edge from being turned over, as before explained. The arms C are placed some distance apart, and their number of course depends upon the length of the retaining-strip.

My adjusting device is simple, inexpensive, and easily attached to the rug. The arm, the resilient reinforcement, with its adhesive surface of soft rubber, collectively retain and hold the rug in a permanent adjusted position upon the floor, while the reversibility of the retaining and holding member in its connection with the arm permits of any degree of adjustment necessary to the retention of any part.

ith respect to that part of my invention which permits of the reversibility of the retaining member I do not wish to confine myself to a construction especially comprising a permanent connection between the arm and retaining member. The term reversible is used in the sense that the retaining member in its relation to the arm maybe changed to assume a reversed or any other relative position. This result is preferably brought about by permanently attaching the arm to the retaining member that it may be turned or swung to assume any reverse position; but other means for supporting the arm may as Well be employed as regards the scope of the invention, as straps, through which the said arm may slide that its position, and so the relative position of the retaining member, becomes changed, or means by which the said arm may be detachably secured to the retaining member to assume diflerent relative positions. So with the adhesive facing to the retaining member. I have described this as being of soft adhesive rubber; but I use the term rubber as being symbolical of any adhesive substance which might equally as well be employed to perform the purposes of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, I desire to claim by Letters Patent of the United States A holder and retainer for a rug or carpet consisting of a flexible, fibrous resilient shaperetaining substance cut angular in shape and having a bottom surfacing of soft adhesive rubber, a yielding metal spring-arm of some considerable length pivoted thereto whereby the said retaining member and arm may assume relatively diiferent positions one to the other as and for the purposes set forth.

JAMES L. KINGSTON.

In presence of J. M. DOLAN, SAUL SIPPERSTEIN. 

